A powerful storm is forecast to impact Massachusetts starting Saturday night and lasting into Monday, with the strongest impacts being on Sunday into Monday.

Rain will start tonight in western Massachusetts and spread across the entire state on Sunday. Rain fall amounts of 1-3 inches is forecast for most of the state, but some areas, particularly in Western Massachusetts may see 4-5 inches of rain. The heaviest period of rain will be Sunday into Sunday night.

Flash flooding in urban and poor drainage areas is possible, and there is a threat of small stream flooding in Western Massachusetts. There is a low risk of main stem river flooding starting on Monday. A Flash Flood Watch has been issued for all of Massachusetts.

All of Massachusetts will experience strong and potentially damaging winds Sunday night into Monday - all areas of the state will experience gusts of 35 MPH to 45 MPH - but the strongest winds and greatest threat for damage being will be in eastern and southeastern coastal areas where winds may gust from 50 MPH to 70 MPH Sunday night and 40 MPH to 55 MPH on Monday. The National Weather Service is forecasting widespread damage to trees and numerous power outages. Isolated structural damage is possible. A High Wind Watch has been issued for all of Massachusetts.

Storm Impacts

Damaging winds may result in downed trees and limbs, numerous power outages, and isolated structural damage. The heaviest winds and associated damage will be in coastal areas and the Cape and Islands.

Flash flooding in urban and poor-drainage areas is possible, especially in western Massachusetts where the rain will be the heaviest. Small stream flooding is possible starting Sunday and there is a low risk of minor flooding along main stem rivers starting on Monday.

The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) at MEMA Headquarters in Framingham is currently operating at Level 1 (Steady State Monitoring).

MEMA will continue to monitor the forecast and will disseminate Situational Awareness Statements as necessary.

Stay Informed:

Utilize Massachusetts Alerts to receive emergency notifications and information from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service. Massachusetts Alerts is a free app that is available for Android and iPhones. To learn more about Massachusetts Alerts, and for information on how to download the free app onto your smartphone, visit: www.mass.gov/mema/mobileapp.

Utilize MEMA’s real-time power outage viewer to stay informed about current power outages in your community and region, and across the state, including information from utility companies about restoration times: http://mema.mapsonline.net/public.html